Don't Focus on Becoming an Elder - 06 & 07
There is Only so Much Time to Read
At the end of the post I’ve recommend three decent books.
But what about the 21-year old who is willing to read and study, or the 28, 31 or 37-year old for that matter? He wants to learn God’s Word. He wants to know God, himself, and the world around him. How will this one take the necessary time to do the work: to read, to study? After all, a young man’s life is often filled with young man responsibilities.
He is supposed to build a household. Perhaps he is recently married. Maybe he is working his first full-time job. Doubtless, there are bills to pay and commitments to keep. Electricity, phone, gas, grocery, car, taxes, maybe mortgage, student loan, haircuts, clothing, insurance, and supper at home, lawn mowing, garbage collecting, painting, fixing, family commitments, birthday parties, holidays, church attendance, becoming a greeter or coffee-hour preparer, or whatever else might be asked of him and his wife. Add to this mix those great gifts from God called children! One, two, three, and more. Diapers, car-seats, feeding, training, loving, debating, playing referee between them, establishing peace (sometimes between parents and children; sometimes between husband and wife).
So, you ask me, “When am I supposed to find time to read and study? Even though I aspire to be an elder, how can I ever prepare enough to become one if reading and studying is such an important part?” Good questions.
My answer may surprise you. God does not want you to focus on becoming an elder. He wants you to concern yourself with loving Him. He wants you to love Him as a young man with a job, as a husband, as a father, as an employee or business owner, as a citizen, as a church member, as a son and grandson, a neighbor, etc. God wants you to love Him and obey Him right where you are in the world He has made. And you must love Him well. In other words, you must love Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Mark 12:30)
This is all He wants from you. However, this means that you will have to learn what such love looks like. It means you will need to do some reading and studying to figure it out. And there you go! You are on your way as an elder in training.
So here are three books that left a mark on me in this life. They are not the most important ones, but they are easier to get you started. Thanks for the recommendation to share some book ideas, Franklin!
Decision Making and the Will of God, by Gary Friesen. This book helped me NOT to get kooky as I tried to make life decisions. I learned to stick with the Bible and disregard other signs and feelings and “God showed me”-isms.
Paradise Restored, by David Chilton. This one helped me to understand that God intends to make all things better over the course of history, not worse.
The World Our Home, by Cornelis Van Der Waal. I discovered Van Der Waal about 2-1/2 years ago. He was a Dutch theologian ministering in South Africa. I ate this book up and wondered where Van Der Waal had been all my life. He touched on important topics that the church has abused in the last 50 to 150 years.